


Not here, not now, it's not time yet

by masterlokisev159



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Does not affect the story, ENDGAME SPOILERS DO NOT READ UNTIL SEEN FILM, Fix-It, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Read only when you have seen the film, Ships are for the reader to decide, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2020-02-04 10:08:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18602371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/masterlokisev159/pseuds/masterlokisev159
Summary: Summary is in top notes.ENDGAME SPOILERS IN THIS FIC-READ ONCE YOU HAVE SEEN THE FILM!





	Not here, not now, it's not time yet

**Author's Note:**

> So as I have warned already, this is a fix-it fic for Endgame. Now that you have clicked, read at your own risk for spoilers. Otherwise, enjoy!  
> N.B. This fic basically works for any of the ships mentioned-up to the reader what they choose.  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> Summary:
> 
> Strange sees everything. He saw this. He knew Tony would not survive. 
> 
> He never expected it to hurt this much. But maybe it doesn't have to be this way.
> 
> Rogers might just be onto something.
> 
> Takes place immediately after Tony's death.

* * *

It happened in a flash. One snap was all it took. One moment and Strange had seen it, the one future, the one way they would win. It happened in the blink of an eye.

They had won. Tony had put on the gauntlet and snapped his fingers just as he was destined to.

And now he was no more.

Stephan stood transfixed, feeling like the universe had played some horrible, sickening trick on them, designed to give them a brief moment of hope before...this.

He’d known it would be this way from the start and yet...

_I sent him to his death. I knew what would happen and I let him die._

If this was what winning felt like, he wasn’t sure how he would cope. He felt like he was going to be sick and what he could see happening right in front of him didn’t help.

Peter was crying his eyes out, awful, anguished sounds that stabbed at his heart. Pepper was holding Tony close and burying her heart as deep as she could. Rhodey was frozen, shaken with grief and horror at watching his closest friend die. Most of the Avengers were also now gathering to mourn.

Distantly, something struck out in his mind at the scene. It was Rogers.

Rogers looked furious.

“ _Move_.” He growled and shoved past Thor, grabbing for Mjolnir as he reached their saviour,  _the saviour of the entire universe,_ Strange realized, and yanked Peter back and pushed Pepper away, ignoring her protests.

Then Stephan realized what Steve was thinking and darted forward, but with every intention to help. If there was a chance, even a small one..

_Is there a chance?_

Reinforced by the idea of a certain apple he’d messed with years ago, he landed on his knees in front of Captain America and met his eyes but Steve was preoccupied and Strange didn’t feel the urge to stop him at all.

With one arm looped around Tony’s waist and tugging him forward, Steve adjusted Tony’s body to lie in his lap, held against his chest with one arm. While Steve fiddled with Tony’s arm, Strange leaned over and brushed Tony’s eyes down, ensuring they were closed. And then he waited and prayed.

“What’s he doing?” Peter whispered, eyes wide but misty and lost as any child would be after losing their...the closest thing to a father. Strange could only look at the kid with a bleak smile. He didn’t want to make false promises and torment the kid further.

“Trying.” He replied quietly, facing Tony’s loved ones with the same look. Suddenly the tension was broken when Steve grunted and prized out the time stone with Mjolnir’s handle. Strange’s eyes gleamed with unshed tears and he bit his lip.

_Please._

“Please, god please.” Steve echoed and with a steadying breath he closed his gloved fist over the stone and held it over Tony, knuckles just lightly brushing Tony’s nose.

Familiar sigils coated Steve’s arm and began to rotate but nothing else happened. Peter’s sobs grew into ugly gasps and Pepper and Rhodey looked seconds away from shattering, the careful front they’d placed for Tony long gone. This was too much and it was almost like the stones were taunting them with the possibility.

_All this for Tony to not come out alive? Is there really no way?_

Then out of no where, Steve roared, causing everyone to jump back and Strange barely caught himself.

“ **Give him back to me!** ” Like blinds shuttering, his eyes fluttered to a bright iridescent green and the sigils spun faster, bathing Steve’s arm green in the same light.

And like magic the scars on Tony’s face began to disappear. Then his arm. Then his hand. Not healed but vanished as if they never existed.

The green light faded away, leaving Tony whole but still so silent in Steve’s arms. It made Strange’s heart sink and he could only imagine what the others were-

“I can hear it! Oh god, I can-Mr. Stark! Can you hear me?” Peter rushed out, gasping and falling to his knees. With shaky hands he brushed at Tony’s neck and pressed, eyes wide and darting with a new purpose.

Strange knew what he was going to say before he did, but even then his heart soared.

“His hearts' beating! He’s alive!”

Determined to not stop, Steve dropped the stone and pulled Tony closer with both arms, shaking him lightly to get a response. Just one was all they needed.

“Tony! Wake up Tony, we’re not losing you now, come on!”

It was like Captain America could fix all because Tony’s eyes began to flutter and-

_Yes! Thank god! Yes!_

Ever so slowly, he opened his eyes and began to wake. Everyone was watching with baited breaths as it happened. Tony blinked a few times and ever so slowly lifted his head up.

“S-Steve?” He whispered, breath shaky and eyes wide with terror. He sucked in a breath and began to shake in Steve’s arms but Steve held him strong.

It was just as well that Steve was so damn proactive because Strange figured not one of them was capable of fully registering this.

Tony was _alive_.

“We’ve got you, you’re okay, let’s get you home.” Steve continued to assure, though his own voice was starting to waver and he bit his lip as tears began to fall into Tony’s hair.

“I-I’m alive?” Tony croaked, and looked up further, realizing his family was there.

“Pep? P-Peter? Rhod-“

“Thank god.” Rhodey whispered, seemingly the first to recover, and with little hesitation he reached over and brushed Tony’s hair back, almost as if to affirm he really was alive before pulling him into a solid embrace which shook everyone into action.

As soon as Rhodey pulled back, Peter leaned in and hugged Tony hard, clutching at his mentor-his only father figure, with shaky hands and holding him close.

Strange felt his breath catch and he began to cry too. The sight was so touching and he couldn’t stop the tears falling down his face. It was the last straw for him.

“You’re alive. Rogers used the time stone on you.” He explained needlessly, just to cut through the sheer number of sobs, his own included. In the middle Tony was still tucked in between Steve and Peter. As the teen held Tony close, Steve brushed his fingers through Tony’s hair and addressed everyone else like the Captain he was. Even if he had just performed a complete miracle.

“Everyone back to the compound, I want a med team ready for Tony immediately. Thor, Clint, Bruce and-and Strange and I will accompany him while everyone else tend to the injured. Once Tony is stable, we’ll reconvene. Okay, assemble!”

There was a flurry of movement and without fail, about twenty sorcerers opened a huge portal to the compound which masses of their army began to run towards. Stepping forward though was Bruce, Shuri and Wong. Bruce nodded at Steve and gestured to the others.

“We’ll go and prep the main recovery room for Tony. Clint and Thor will help organise the rest of the med wing and then join us. When we’re ready, Wong can open a portal and you can bring him through.”

Surprisingly Rhodey pushed to his feet and joined them, face steeled and battle ready. Despite having been through hell, he still looked alive. 

_Only because of Tony. We have to make sure he's okay._

“I’ll go with you. Just be ready to bring him through.” Rhodey said, watching the scene tiredly.

With a solemn nod, Steve turned back, hand still brushing Tony’s hair. Tony, who was still buried in Peter’s arms and being told things over and over.

Dropping beside them, Pepper hugged Tony’s back and faced Steve. Her face was wet with tears but she looked alert and ready to help.

“We’re not leaving him. We’re coming too.”

“Of course.“

Peter was still murmuring words of comfort and Tony just seemed to be accepting it much to Strange’s surprise. Then again, Stephan could feel his fingers still shaking from what they’d all just been through so god knew how Tony felt.

_He’s alive. But quiet. **Too** quiet._

“Peter, let him go for a second.”

Clearly reluctant, Peter pulled away, having completely dampened Tony’s hair and gently, he held Tony’s shoulders and let Tony look up again, Pepper supporting him from behind and Steve, from the side. Strange could see it was needed.

Tony looked dazed and pale and his eyes were falling to half mast, gaze barely focusing on anything. Really, for Strange that was enough to let his clinical instincts kick in.

“Tony.” He prompted, leaning forward and cupping his neck quickly to steady him when his head fell back. “Are you with us?”

He hummed a small sound but his eyes were closed and Strange could feel his head completely leaning on him. Steve noticed too and glanced at Strange before addressing the tired genius.

“Tony. Can you hear us?”

The billionaire said nothing but began to smile a little, almost like he was dreaming. But Stephan knew that wasn’t the case and from the way Peter and Pepper were going white, they knew too.

“You used the time stone on him. He’s probably exhausted and I don’t think he won’t still be feeling weak after using the gauntlet. We need to get him taken care off.”

Steve’s gaze sharpened instantly and even Peter spun around with a crazed look in his eyes.

“Is he going to be okay?” Peter begged and faced Tony again, eyes fixed on his slow but moving chest.

He stayed silent. What could he say?

"Strange?" Steve urged and he sighed.

“I don’t know. But there’s a chance he may survive. The physical damage has been greatly undone by the looks of it.” He said, unsure whether he could really promise more than that. But physically Tony really was looking a lot better, even if he couldn’t keep his head up.

Thankfully the familiar snap and sizzle of a sorcerer ring appeared behind them showing the familiar hospital bed in the compound with all machinery prepped and Bruce and Rhodey waiting.

In one clean swoop, Steve picked Tony up and carried him through, carefully lying him on the bed and tugging at the nano-port to dissolve the suit. Everyone followed and Wong closed the portal as Strange immediately found himself hooking Tony up to everything. Steve and Peter covered Tony carefully with the blanket and stepped aside.

“He’s breathing. I think he’s just unconscious.” Peter breathed, coming to stand beside the bed with soft steps. Pepper dropped into a nearby chair and rubbed her eyes, looking down.

“We’ve been down this route before. He’ll be okay. He hates hospitals.” She murmured and Strange found himself smiling. Then he turned to all of them and smiled even more broadly.

“He’s fine. I think-“ He turned the holographic monitors around and showed them. “-he’s just exhausted. These brainwaves are the same as when a person's asleep. His heart rate is slow but steady. His blood pressure is a bit low but again, I’d say he’s just tired.”

Steve folded his arms and swallowed. “Because of the time stone?” He was guarding from behind Peter and it was clear he wasn’t moving.

“Yes. And also the other stones. But we just need to keep an eye on him. Make sure.”

“I’ll do it. I’ll sit with him.” Peter whispered, hand stretching out as if to touch Tony’s shoulder but stopping.

Something broke in Strange again and he noticed Steve’s eyes grow glassy as well.

“Go ahead kid. He can probably feel it. Might be a good thing.”

Licking his lips, he nodded and held Tony’s shoulder gently.

“We’re here Mr. Stark. We’re here.” Peter closed his eyes and squeezed. “Tony. We’re here.”

“...Pete...” Tony whispered in his sleep and twisted around till he was lying on his side. Subconsciously he had turned to Peter.

 _Maybe there is a god._ Strange thought and just smiled at the way Peter’s eyes brightened and he bit his lip to try and stave off the tears again.

Steve placed his hand on Tony’s shoulder too and spoke just as softly.

“You’re okay Tony. I promised you didn’t I?”

“...St’ve...” Tony murmured again, completely oblivious to how everyone was crying around him.

Stephan supposed Tony wouldn’t be leaving any time soon. At least not out of these people’s sights.

It was clear in Strange’s mind. Tony had a lot to look forward to when he woke up. And Strange was just grateful that he would.

 

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> So I saw Endgame today and it COMPLETELY BROKE ME!!! I was in tears when Tony died and so, as usual, my mind went to fix-it fanfics! I hope you guys enjoy this and it comforts you as much as it's starting to comfort me :')
> 
> Please let me know what you think and please continue to read/write Stony or whatever your favorite Avengers fics to read are!  
> Come talk to me in the comments!!! 
> 
> Btw I might continue this if people want more-at the moment, I'm very much in the mood to write more fix-it shots so let me know!
> 
> Now please excuse me while I go cry/live in denial ;)


End file.
